Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for rendering 3-D graphics, and more specifically to systems for editing 3-D projects collaboratively over a computer network.
Description of Related Art
Creating high-quality 3-D graphics is often a collaborative process that requires the creative input and expertise of many different people. Existing 3-D editing systems, however, are not designed for collaboration. They are typically standalone applications that run only on high-performance workstations. Using these systems for collaborative projects requires providing, to each member of the team, the necessary software and a workstation capable of running it. For large teams, this is often prohibitively expensive.
Further, existing systems usually store 3-D project information locally in large data files. Whenever one team member changes the project, the even if the change is a minor one, the updated project file must be distributed to every other team member using, e.g., FTP or email. Distributing project data in this way is slow and prone to errors. Also, using this method, only one team member can edit the project at any given time; simultaneous editing will create multiple, inconsistent project files.